Push release latch



Dec. 24, 1957 C. G. HASSELMARK PUSH RELEASE LATCH Filed Sept. 13. 1956 f f f ////l United States atent PUSH RELEASE LATCH Carl G. Hasselmark, New Britain, Conn., assigner to The Stanley Works, New Britain, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application September 13, 1956, Serial No. 609,770

2 Claims. (Cl. 292-340) The present invention relates to a latch mechanism of the push release type having particular usefulness in connection with closure members which swing on a horizontal axis such as in light fixtures and the like, although the invention is not limited to such use.

Push release latch mechanisms of the type to which the present invention pertains are those which have a transverse shoulder for retaining a pivoted arm or bolt which is automatically engaged when the closure member is closed and which is automatically disengaged when the closure member is actuated an additional amount in a closing direction.

The object of the present invention is to construct a latch mechanism of the type described which provides a positive stop for giving a precise indication when the closure member has been closed sufficiently to latch and to prevent inadvertent release of the latch and closure member during a closing operation by preventing overtravel of the closure member in a closing direction in a single continuous movement. Included in this object is the aim of providing such a positive stop in a simple and inexpensive manner and Without interfering with the ease and simplicity of operation of the latch.

Other objects will be in part obvious, and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawing-s:

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view of a recessed light iixture which is provided with a latch mechanism of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 2--2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the latch mechanism in unlatched position.

Referring to the drawing, a light fixture is shown having a peripheral flange or frame 12 which is recessed in the ceiling 14. Pivoted to the ange 12 at 16 is a closure member 18 supporting a window or glass 19. In the specic embodiment, a latch 2t) is mounted on the closure member 18 and comprises a bracket 26 suitably mounted on the member 18 and provided with bent over ends 22, 24, as best seen in Fig. 2. An arm or bolt 28 is pivotally mounted on the bracket 26 by means of a stud 30 for pivotal movement in either direction from a median position shown in Figs. 2 and 3. A pair of springs 32, 34 are connected at one end with the pivoted arm as at 36, 38 and are suitably mounted at their other ends on the end members 22, 24 of the bracket 26. The springs 32 and 34 are preferably of equal strength and thus tend to maintain the arm 28 in the aforesaid median position. A roller 4t) is mounted on the outer end of the arm 28 for latching engagement with a keeper 46 mounted on the flange 12 of the fixture 10.

In the specific embodiment the keeper 46 is molded of a single piece of plastic such as nylon and is provided at opposite ends with slots 48, 5t), in which are received the edge portions 52, S4 of an aperture 56 in the frame for the support of the keeper on the frame. The keeper 46 is formed with a rear wall 58, side members 60, 62 and a center latching section 64 dening a channel for receiving the roller 40 during a latching and unlatching operation. The center latching section 641 has a transverse shoulder 66 on which the roller 40 is adapted to engage to hold the parts in latching position as shown in Fig. 2. During a latching operation the roller 40 first engages the lower edge 68 of the center section 64 with which it is initially aligned as shown in Fig.. 3 and which is rearwardly inclined so that it pivots the arm 28 in a clockwise direction as viewed in the drawings. When the roller 40 has been moved inwardly sufficiently to clear the shoulder 66, the springs return the arm 28 to normal position causing the roller 40 to latch on the shoulder 66. In order to disengage the latch, all that is necessary is to push in the closure member 18 and hence the arm 28 and roller 40 an additional amount which causes the arm and roller to be again pivoted in a clockwise direction, this time by the cam surface 70 until the roller clears the point 72 whereupon the springs again return the arm 28 to normal position causing the roller 40 to ride on the outer edge 74 permitting the arm 28 and roller 40 to be Withdrawn from the latch.

As thus far described, the latch has the disadvantage that it is ditiicult for the operator to tell when he has moved the closure member 18 a sufficient distance in a closing direction to engage the latch and at the same time has not moved it too far so as to again release the latch. Normally this can be done only by closing the closure member 18 very slowly whereas the normal tendency of the operator or user is to slam the closure member shut in order to latch it in closed position. In accordance with the invention, this difficulty has been solved by providing the side member with a guide surface 76 terminating in the arcuate pocket 7 8 facing outwardly of the latch. Thus when the closure member 13 is closed rapidly or slammed shut, the roller 40 will be received in the pocket 78 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, thus producing an automatic stop and preventing a continued movement which would otherwise result in again releasing the latch. As soon as pressure is released on the closure member 18 and it is permitted to back up slightly, the roller 4t) is released from the pocket 78 and engages on the shoulder 66 as shown in solid lines in Fig. 2. It thus can be seen that, in accordance with the invention, to engagethe latch, it is necessary tirst to move the closure member until movement is impeded by engagement of the roller 4t) in pocket 78 and then to move the closure member in the opposite direction to permit the roller to move into latching position.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim:

l. A latch keeper for use with a latch of the type having an arm mounted for movement longitudinally inwardly and outwardly of the keeper and for pivotal movement in either direction from a median position comprising, a cam surface engageable with the pivoted arm during initial movement of the latch inwardly of the keeper to pivot the arm in one direction, a stop member spaced inwardly of said cam surface sequentially engageable with the pivoted arm to limit movement thereof inwardly of the keeper and to prevent pivotal movement thereof in the other direction toward said median position, said arm being disengageable from said stop member upon partial movement of the latch outwardly of the keeper, and a latching shoulder intermediate the cam surface and stop member engageable with the arm upon disengagement of the arm from the stop member and pivotal movement of the arm to said median position to limit outward movement of the latch.

2. A latch keeper for use with a latch of the type having an arm mounted for movement longitudinally inwardly and outwardly of the keeper and for pivotal movement in either direction from a median position comprising, an inwardly inclined cam surface initially engageable with the arm upon movement thereof inwardly of the keeper for pivotal movement of the arm in one direction from said median position, a latching shoulder disposed with one end thereof in substantial registry with the inner end of said cam surface for engagement with the arm upon pivoting thereof in said otherdirection toward said median position, and a guide member spaced from said cam surface and said shoulder to form an entrance guide channel for said arm and provided with a notch facing outwardly of the keeper and spaced inwardly of said shoulder, one end of said notch being in substantial registry with said one end of the shoulder whereby said arm will be engaged in said notch during movement thereof inwardly of the keeper prior to engagement with said shoulder to limit inward movement of the arm and prevent pivotal movement thereof in said other direction toward said median position.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

